Regulations Firearm Laws and Ordinances - Toy Guns

A law requiring that a "toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm shall have as an integral part, permanently affixed, a blaze orange plug inserted in the barrel of such toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm" was passed as Section Four of the Federal Energy Management Improvement Act of 1988 (PL 100-615). The law provided for alternative markings if the orange plug could not be used.

Ending Sales of Look-Alike Toy Guns

In November 1994 three major toy retailers announced that they would stop selling toy guns designed to look like real guns after the look-alikes led to tragic consequences. In two separate incidents, a thirteen-year-old boy was shot and killed and a sixteen-year-old boy was seriously wounded when police mistook their look-alike toy guns for real weapons. Kay-Bee Toy Stores, Toys "R" Us, Inc., and Bradlees, Inc., decided to stop selling these guns, even though the sale of them had generated almost $250 million. A report by the New York Police Department showed that realistic-looking toy guns had been used in 534 felonies up until October 1994. In 2004 New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced a renewed effort to eliminate these toy guns from all toy and discount stores in the city when a city council investigation found that 20% of the shops were still selling the realistic-looking toy guns.